This Endwell Born Musician Is Entertaining Audiences Around the World

Mike Rizzi of Endwell was born to entertain the world. At the age of just three years old, Rizzi began drum lessons and before he even knew the alphabet, he was reading music.

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By the time Rizzi entered middle school, music was fully coursing through his veins and Rizzi was playing drums and singing with his band, “Uncle Jam.”

In high school at Maine-Endwell, Rizzi began to write and record music and was popular with his classmates, selling his music, recorded on cassette tapes, from his locker. It was during this time that Rizzi realized he couldn’t live without music and that he must make his passion his life’s work.

For more than thirty years, Rizzi has lived his passion as a professional drummer, touring with some really huge names in music. Rizzi has toured with national acts such as Tony Lewis from The Outfield, The Sweet Tea Project which features Ed Roland of Collective Soul, and with John Driskell Hopkins who co-founded the wildly popular Zac Brown Band.

In 2018, Rizzi co-produced an album with John Driskell Hopkins called “Appreciate What Remains.” The album was written as a tribute to his son who lives in Holland and whom Rizzi misses immensely. However, after the album was released, people flooded Rizzi with messages from people who were separated from those they love, and became something of an anthem to “find gratitude and to take inventory as to what we DO have in our lives, to be grateful for.”

In addition to his role in the world of music, Rizzi has also had roles in television and in movies appearing on the drama show, ‘MONARCH’ and the NETFLIX series, ‘Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings.’

Impressively, Rizzi is currently on tour as the drummer for the ‘Icons of Classic Rock’ 2022 world tour which features past and present members of iconic bands such as Boston, The Romantics, Survivor, AC DC, Santana, Foreigner, and Quiet Riot.

When he’s not performing on stage with the “Icons of Classic Rock” world tour, Rizzi says he plans to work on a follow-up album to “Appreciate What Remains” which he plans to call “Departures and Arrivals.”